ENC 1101 (Blewitt): Recommended Databases

What Are Databases and Why You Need Them

Background Information

You can usually find background information on your topic in reference books and in library databases. Pro/con articles are especially helpful in providing an overview of both sides of an issue. Encyclopedia articles can also provide historical background on key terms, people and events.

International coverage and access to scholarly articles, symposia, jurisdictional surveys, court decisions, legislation, books, book reviews, and more. This is an excellent resource for attorneys, educators, business people, law librarians, students, paralegals, and others involved with the law.

Suggested Databases for College Essay

A guide to published and unpublished sources on thousands of educational topics.
- Search Tip: Check off the box labeled Full Text before searching.
- Results Tip: Limit by date or source on the left-hand side of the screen.

Provides full-text, peer-reviewed scholarly and scientific articles in psychology. This database would provide information on a person’s inherent motion for going to college.
- Search Tip: Check off the box labeled Full Text before searching.
- Results Tip: Limit by date or source on the left-hand side of the screen.

Suggested Database for Social Issue/Law Essay

For the most current events, read the daily newspaper, watch television reports and listen to radio news. However, many times you will need to search back through several weeks, months or years of news reports to research the news related to your issue. For this, the best source is a library database.

Search Tips:
Go to the Advanced Search.
Limit to Full Text
Under Source Types, select Newspapers.
For date sensitive topics, try limiting the Publication date to the last 12 months.

Result Tips:
Can select a particular newspaper (Publication Type), e.x. Orlando Sentinel.
You can display most recent articles first (right-hand side of the screen, Sort Results by)